On All Sides Nowhere: Building a Life in Rural Idaho

By William Gruber

Book Overview

When Bill Gruber left Philadelphia for graduate school in Idaho, he and his wife decided to experience true rural living. His longing for the solitude and natural beauty that Thoreau found on Walden Pond led him to buy an abandoned log cabin and its surrounding forty acres in Alder Creek, a town considered small even by Idaho standards. But farm living was far from the bucolic wonderland he expected: he now had to rise with the sun to finish strenuous chores, cope with the lack of modern conveniences, and shed his urban pretensions to become a real local. Despite the initial hardships, he came to realize that reality was far better than his wistful fantasies. Instead of solitude, he found a warm, welcoming community; instead of rural stolidity, he found intelligence and wisdom; instead of relaxation, he found satisfaction in working the land. What began as a two-year experiment became a seven-year love affair with a town he'll always consider home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618189297
• ISBN13: 9780618189298
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Return Again and Again

This book will be a joy for anyone who loves the craft of writing. Although he says it better than my paraphrase, Mr. Gruber observes that it is not realism we look for in fiction but rather the validation of our own personal experiences. Since "On All Sides Nowhere" is a work of non-fiction, Mr. Gruber gives us the inverse of his hypothesis: he transforms the seemingly unrelated details of life in Alder Creek into one of Vermeer's family portraits that we will always revisit with pleasure.

An exquisitely written book

This man Gruber really knows how to write. He has a stunning command of the English language and uses it not to try to impress us but simply to communicate all the nuances of what he's talking about, which is life in modern-day rural Idaho. And beyond that, the book is about life in America, and life in general -- from the perspective of a thoughtful and sensitive soul, the kind of person you don't often meet these days. If you want a thrilling, romantic adventure story, this definitely is not it. But if you want to read something really well written by someone who goes way beyond the superfical to examine things in real depth, this is your book. Like the author, I am an Easterner who lived in rural Idaho for a time. His descriptions are not only accurate, but also thought-provoking and even inspiring. Whether you've been to Idaho or not, give this one a try.

On All Sides Nowhere

Clean, straight, enjoyable, professional writing. I hope that some sort of sequel will be on the shelves soon.

A strange title for a memorable book

Having tromped around the woods, towns, and backroads of Northern Idaho while growing up, I was delighted to have those memories pulled out of deep memory by Bill Gruber's delightful book. "On All Sides Nowhere" chronicles a place and culture seldom deemed worthy of prose. Gruber transforms what might seem seedy (yards filled with junked cars, a skillful but alcoholic handyman, houses continually under contruction) into respectful depictions of everyday life in this hard-scrabble part of the Pacific Northwest. Unlike many writers, Gruber doesn't choose to focus on himself or his family; they are simply the vehicle that allows him insights into the characters around them.